按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Martin Haply flushed。 〃Well screw him！ You heard the guys yourself at the tai…pan's party！〃
〃That proves nothing。 You've no proof。 We're stopping that approach。 It's not proven so I can't take a stand。〃
〃But； lo… 〃
Toxe's neck went purple。 〃It's bloody well stopped；〃 he roared。 〃Understand？〃
Haply began to say something but changed his mind。 Choked with rage he turned on his heel and left。 He walked across the big room and jerked the front door open and slammed it behind him。
Christian Toxe exhaled。 〃He's got a lousy bloody temper that lad！〃
He stubbed his cigarette out and lit another。 〃Christ； I'm smoking too much！〃 Still seething； his brown eyes watched the older man。 〃Someone must have called her； Mac。 Now what would you like as a return favor if you were Mrs。 Dragon Mong？〃
Suddenly Mac beamed。 〃Na a voting membership of the Turf Club！〃
〃Go to the head of the class！〃
Singh； the Indian reporter； came in with a foot of teletype。 〃You might need this for the extra； Chris。〃
It was a series of Reuters reports from the Middle East。 〃Teheran 0832 hours： High…level diplomatic sources in Iran report sudden extensive Soviet military maneuvers have begun close to their north border near the oil…rich border area of Azerbaijan where more rioting took place。 Washington is reported to have asked permission to send observers to the area。〃
The next paragraph was： 〃Tel Aviv 0600 hours： The Knesset confirmed late last night that another huge irrigation project had been funded to further divert the waters of the River Jordan into the southern Negev Desert。 There was immediate adverse and hostile reaction from Jordan； Egypt and Syria。〃
〃Negev？ Isn't Israel's brand spanking new atomic plant in the Negev？〃 Toxe asked。
〃Aye。 Now there's another splendid addition to the peace conference tables。 Would the water be for that？〃
〃I don't know Mac； but this's certainly going to parch a few Jordanian and Palestinian throats。 Water water everywhere but not a drop to shower in。 I wish to Christ it would rain。 Singh； tidy up these reports and we'll put them on the back page。 They won't sell a single bloody paper。 Do a follow…up piece on the Werewolves for the front page： The police have a vast dragnet out but the vicious kidnappers of Mr。 John Chen continue to elude them。 According to sources close to the family of his father； pradore of Struan's； no ransom note has yet been received but one is expected imminently。 The China Guardian asks all its readers to assist in the capture of these fiends 。。。 ' That sort of thing。〃
At Aberdeen Spectacles Wu saw the old woman e out of the tenement building； a shopping basket in her hand； and join the noisy crowds in the narrow alley。 He followed cautiously feeling very pleased with himself。 While he had waited for her to reappear he had struck up a conversation with a street hawker whose permanent place of business was a patch of broken pavement opposite。 The hawker sold tea and small bowls of hot congee … rice gruel。 Wu had ordered a bowl； and during his meal； the hawker had told him about the old woman； Ah Tam； who had been in the neighborhood since last year。 She'd e to the Colony from a village near Canton with the huge waves of immigrants who had flooded over the border last summer。 She didn't have any family of her own and the people she worked for had no sons around twenty； though he had seen her with a young man early this morning。 〃She says her village was Ning…tok。 。。。〃
It was then that Wu had felt a glow at this stroke of luck。 Ning…tok was the same village his own parents had e from and he spoke that dialect。
Now he was twenty paces behind her and he watched her haggle brilliantly for vegetables； selecting only the very best onions and greens； all just a few hours fresh from the fields in the New Territories。 She bought very little so he knew that the family she worked for was poor。 Then she was standing in front of the poultry stall with its layers of barely alive； scrawny chickens crammed helplessly into cages； their legs tied。 The rotund stall owner bartered with her； both sides enjoying the foul language； insults； choosing this bird； then that； then another； prodding them； discarding them； until the bargain was made。 Because she was a good； salty trader； the man allowed his profit to be shaved。 Then he strangled the bird deftly without thought； tossing the carcass to his five…year…old daughter； who squatted in a pile of feathers and offal； for plucking and cleaning。
〃Hey； Mr。 Poultryman；〃 Wu called out； 〃I'd like a bird at the same price。 That one！〃 He pointed at a good choice and paid no attention to the man's grumbling。 〃Elder Sister；〃 he said to her politely； 〃clearly you have saved me a great deal of cash。 Would you like to have a cup of tea while we wait for our birds to be cleaned？〃
〃Ah thank you； yes； these old bones are tired。 We'll go there！〃 Her gnarled finger pointed to a stall opposite。 〃Then we can watch to make sure we get what we paid for。〃 The poultry man muttered an obscenity and they laughed。
She shoved her way across the street； sat down on a bench； ordered tea and a cake and was soon telling Wu how she hated Hong Kong and living among strangers。 It was easy for him to butter her up by using the odd word of Ning…tok patois； then pretending to be equally surprised when she switched to that dialect and told him she came from the same village and oh how wonderful it was to find a neighbor after all these months among foreigners！ She told him that she had worked for the same family in Ning…tok ever since she was seven。 But； sadly； three years ago her mistress … the child that she had brought up； now an old lady like herself … had died。 〃I stayed in the house but it had fallen on hard times。 Then last year the famine was bad。 Many in the village decided to e to this place。 Chairman Mao's people didn't mind； in fact they encouraged us … 'Useless Mouths' as they called us。 Somehow we got split up and I managed to get over the border and found my way to this place here； penniless； hungry； with no family； no friends； nowhere to turn。 At length I got a job and now I work as a cock…amah for the family Ch'ung who're street cleaners。 The dog bones pay me nothing but my keep and my food and chief wife Ch'ung's a maggot…mouthed hag but soon I'll be rid of all of them！ You said your father came here with his family ten years ago？〃
〃Yes。 We owned a field near the bamboo glade beside the river。 His name was Wu Cho…tam an … 〃
〃Ah； yes I think I remember the family。 Yes； I think so。 Yes； and I know the field。 My family was Wu Ting…top and their family owned the pharmacy at the crossroads for more than a hundred years。〃
〃Ah； Honorable Pharmacy Wu？ Oh yes of course！〃 Spectacles Wu did remember the family well。 Pharmacy Wu had always been a Maoist sympathizer。 Once he had had to flee the Nationalists。 In this village of a thousand souls he had been well liked and trusted and he had kept life in the village as calm and as protected from outsiders as he could。
〃So； you're one of Wu Cho…tam's sons； Younger Brother！〃 Ah Tam was saying。 〃Eeeee； in the early days it was so wonderful in Ning…tok but for the last years 。。。 terrible。〃
〃Yes。 We were lucky。 Our field was fertile and we tilled the soil like always but after a few years outsiders came and accused all the landowners … as if we were exploiters！ We only tilled our own field。 Even so； from time to time some landowners were taken away； some shot； so one night ten years ago my father fled with all of us。 Now my father is dead but I live with my mother not far away。〃
〃There were many fleeings and famines in the early days。 I hear that now it is better。 Did you hear too？ Outsiders came； wasn't it？ They would e and they would leave。 The village is not so bad again； Younger Brother； oh no！ Outsiders leave us alone。 Yes； they left my mistress and us alone because Father was important and one of Chairman Mao's supporters from the beginning。 My mistress's name was Fang…ling； she's dead now。 There's no collective near us so life is like it's always been； though we all have to study Chairman Mao's Red Book。 The village isn't so bad； all my friends are there。 。。。 Hong Kong is a foul place and my village is home。 Life without family is nothing。 But now 。。。〃 Then the old woman dropped her voice and chortled； carried away with pleasure。 〃But now the gods have favored me。 In a month or two I'm going home； home forever。 I'll have enough money to retire on and I'll buy the small house at the end of my street and perhaps a little field and 。。。〃
〃Retire？〃 Wu said； leading her on。 〃Who has that sort of money； Elder Sister？ You said you were paid nothing th… 〃
〃Ah；〃 the old woman replied； puffed up。 〃I've an important friend。〃
〃What sort of friend？〃
〃A very important business friend who needs my help！ Because I've been so useful he's promised to give me a huge amount of money … 〃
〃You're making this all up； Elder Sister；〃 he scoffed。 〃Am I a foolish stranger wh… 〃
〃I tell you my friend's so important he can hold the whole island in thrall！〃
〃There are no such persons！〃
〃Oh yes there are！〃 She dropped her voice and whispered hoarsely； 〃What about the Werewolves！〃
Spectacles Wu gaped